Romance Journey
by Erufu Seiyuuki Kaizoku
Summary: The crew is shipwrecked on an island, and Nami gets anxious to leave...


Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own One Piece, any of its characters, story lines, or anything else related to One Piece thereof. However, I do wish that Roronoa Zoro had been my idea, as well as "Red Haired" Shanks. But alas, I do not own these characters or any One Piece stuff. I'm just  
borrowing it all for a while. One more thing: This story written below is in fact, my ideas and my story  
even though the characters are not mine and the story line is mostly  
inspired from the story line in the comics, which I do not own. Ok--I think I'm done now. Please read my fic, and I hope you One Piece fans all  
like it!! Please give suggestions if you have any!!!  
  
One Piece-- The Fanfic Chapter One  
  
Monkey D. Luffy awoke with a start as the dinghy pitched about in the water and a peal of thunder was heard overhead. He realized that Nami had been attempting to shake him awake.  
  
"There's a real bad storm approaching, Cap'n!" She exclaimed worriedly, motioning to the ominous clouds. The tiny boat rocked wildly in the mercy of the huge waves. "And there isn't any land around here for another fifty miles!"  
  
Roronoa Zoro sat silently at the bow of the dinghy. He gazed straight ahead, immersed within his own thoughts. He seemed unnaturally calm.  
  
"What do you suggest we do, then?" Luffy asked slowly, scratching the back of his head. Just then, a bolt of lightning stabbed through the air, searing the back of Luffy's red vest. "Ah!" He said, his hair standing on end.  
  
Nami worriedly checked the map again for an island, murmuring something about tiny vessels capsizing in such weather. The three pirates held on for dear life as the dinghy heaved upwards and was abruptly thrown down again, wobbling from side to side.  
  
Nami looked up again, shaking her head, then did a huge double-take. A monstrous funnel shaped cloud was twisting its way to the ocean's surface. She allowed herself to scream as the waterspout touched down and spiraled ever nearer to them.  
  
"NAMI! LAND!" Zoro yelled as a tiny island became visible when the small boat was heaved upwards by the waves. He quickly jumped to the small mast and tied up the sail. "Let's row!" He shouted over the loud roar of the approaching storm.  
  
The rain pelted them like fat bullets, and started to fill the boat. Luffy bailed the water out as best as he could while Zoro and Nami rowed ferociously.  
  
The waterspout seemed to be drawing strength from the sea, and raced ever nearer to them. It was now 20 yards away and closing fast.  
  
"We'll never make it!" Nami yelled, fatigue taking over. Zoro still rowed like mad, as if he could never tire.  
  
"Yes we will!" Luffy shouted, dumping out more water. "We're much closer all ready! Keep rowing!" He chanced a glance over to the encroaching water tornado. The waves grew higher, stronger and more vicious as it drew nearer. The dinghy almost turned over as a wave crashed against it's side.  
  
Suddenly, as it seemed the tornado had finally overtaken them, the three pirates were tossed overboard and hit a sandy beach. They all blacked out until morning.  
  
"Unngh, where am I?" Nami groaned. She found herself wrapped around a tall palm tree. She rubbed her aching head and shielded her eyes from the blazing sun. There was not a cloud in the sky that morning, and all she could see that was left of the dinghy was broken bits and pieces thrown about by the storm. "Luffy?" She called. She couldn't see any signs of the other two on the long beach before her.  
  
There was a strange scuffling sound, like someone dragging their feet through sand and foliage. Nami turned around and saw Zoro crawling out from behind a bush. Blood was crusted onto the side of his face and below his nose, but otherwise he seemed okay.  
  
"Zoro, can you walk?" Nami asked softly as he leaned carefully against a tree opposite her.  
  
"Leg's broke." He grunted painfully. His outstretched leg did look a little twisted...  
  
"I'll have to set it and put a splint on it," Nami said, none too enthusiastically, as she was a little squeamish. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Have you seen Luffy?"  
  
"No. I heard you yell and I dragged myself over. But I didn't have enough energy to go looking for that fool that got us in this mess." Zoro said bitterly. He rolled his eyes. "I told him we should have waited to leave."  
  
Nami sighed. "He wouldn't listen to me either. Well, I'll go look for something I could use as a splint." She got up carefully and delved into the forest.  
  
Zoro watched her disappear into the trees and vines. He exhaled hugely and slumped against the tree. His leg pained him terribly, and he couldn't move it or touch it without excruciating agony. He clenched his teeth and gripped his three swords tightly, waiting and watching for Nami's return.  
  
A sharp thorny vine snagged and tore a part of Nami's shirt, scratching her skin underneath. "Ouch, damn prickers," She swore, pulling the thorns out of her shirt.  
  
The insects in the jungle were incredible. There were bugs of every shape, size, and species. She could have sworn that she was being attacked by at least fourteen different kinds of mosquitoes, all unnaturally huge and menacing. She advanced slowly, searching for strong poles of wood for Zoro's splints and maybe a walking stick.  
  
She swatted a particularly large gnat out of her face and then saw what she was looking for. A tall, old tree had fallen and was being partially held up by another still living tree in front of it. The dead wood had been allowed to dry and harden. Nami ran over to it and grasped a tall branch jutting out from one side. She easily snapped it off, and cleaned the bark off of the branch as well. When she was completely satisfied that this would serve Zoro well as a walking stick, she looked for two strong strips of wood.  
  
On the large log were many branches, and Nami tested each stick she broke off. Finally she came up with two splint-worthy pieces of wood, and dashed out of the forest in the direction she came.  
  
"Zoro? Zoro!" Nami called, straining her ears to hear what direction his reply would come from. She prayed that she wouldn't get lost, but already the surrounding trees and ground cover didn't look familiar. "Zoro?"  
  
"Over here, girl!" Came his rough, strained voice. He sounded a bit impatient. Nami ran to him, apologizing for taking so long.  
  
"Forget it, just fix the leg!" Zoro said through clenched teeth, sweat trickling down the side of his face.  
  
Nami gently grasped his left leg, testing for which bones were broken. "YEAARRRGH!" Zoro screamed when she had found it.  
  
"Sorry. This is gonna hurt a lot more..." Nami set the bones back in place with a sickening crunch. She looked a little green, but stayed composed as Zoro yelled some more. "The worst is over," she murmured as she placed the splints on either side of his leg. He breathed heavily, veins popping out on his forehead.  
  
Nami casted about for something to tie the splints on with, but when she couldn't find anything that would stay on, she ripped off the bottom of her already torn shirt and used the cloth to fasten the sticks on securely. She heaved herself against a tree when she was done. "How's that feel?"  
  
"Better, I guess. Thanks." Zoro breathed. He allowed himself to relax. "You know, I never would have guessed that you'd double as a doctor,"  
  
"Well, I try my best. I can't just leave your leg broke like that." Nami said modestly. Zoro sat, gazing at her for a while.  
  
"You didn't see Luffy at all, did you?" He said suddenly.  
  
"No... I'd go find him now, but I'm not sure if I wanna leave you alone again." Nami laughed.  
  
"Pfft, I don't care. Go get 'em."  
  
"You don't have to. He's right here." Luffy walked out from behind a huge tree, a giant smirk on his face and his arms laden with bananas.  
  
"LUFFY!" Zoro and Nami both shouted, happy to see that their captain was all right.  
  
"Gees, I guess you're happy to see me!" He laughed, dumping the bananas down in front of them. "I was just searching this island for something to eat. What kind of captain would I be if I let my crew starve?" Luffy grabbed up a single banana, ripped off it's peel and shoveled it into his mouth. "They're really good when they're fresh!"  
  
"Yup," Nami agreed, and pulled out her map again. She was disappointed to see that the storm had caused her to accidentally rip it partially down the middle. She figured that they were about 45 miles from their original destination. "Well, how're we gonna get off this island?"  
  
Luffy shrugged as Zoro said, "I hate bananas." He then wolfed down two at once, and Luffy laughed at him.  
  
"It's been a whole week! I think it's about time for us to find a way to the mainland!" Nami shouted restlessly. She was getting island fever.  
  
"Relax, girl, at least we're not starving," Luffy said, cracking open a coconut.  
  
"Yick, those are worse than the bananas," Zoro complained, sipping some coconut milk and making a face. "Natural laxative."  
  
"Would you rather die from dehydration? Or drink seawater?" Luffy scraped some coconut meat out of the shell.  
  
"Well..." Zoro said thoughtfully.  
  
"Boys," Nami said exasperatedly and stomped off. She walked to her part of the island and sat on some sand under the shade of a tall palm tree. She started to contemplate ways to get off the tiny island. she thought.   
  
Then it dawned on her. She'd use her special skill to escape...  
  
It was another cool night. The moon hung huge in the sky, full and bright, illuminating the island almost like daylight. Nami crept silently to where Zoro lay asleep on some strategically placed palm leaves. She listened carefully to his deep, heavy breathing, and gazed upon his form, pale in the moonlight. She hesitated. It seemed that in the way the moonlight hit his face, and shadowed his closed eyes... she wondered how she had never really noticed how attractive he was. Maybe it was just the spirits of the night playing tricks on her, or the fickle moon whose pale light seduces the iciest of souls, but for one fleeting moment all Nami wanted was to stand there and gaze at Zoro, who was still sleeping peacefully.  
  
Nami shook her head, trying to clear her mind again. These minor distractions were eating away at her escape time. She slowly bent over Zoro's body and reached for his white sword. Nami wondered as she picked it up with a practised hand. She stole away into the jungle, having successfully stolen Zoro's sword. Nami thought devilishly.  
  
Once she was satisfied that no one would hear her, she unsheathed the gleaming, white handled sword. She looked at it for a moment, then used it to cut slats of wood that she had prepared earlier. When they were all of equal length, she carved tongues and grooves in them so that they would fit together like puzzle pieces.  
  
Nami walked around the area, whacking at vines with Zoro's sword. She gathered them up and used them to tie the wooden slats together more securely. She worked until past midnight, when the moon slid silently below the horizon. She found herself in complete darkness, and since she was exhausted anyway, she laid down on her raft and fell asleep to the sounds of chirping frogs and crickets, still clutching the re-sheathed white sword.  
  
The first red fingers of dawn stretched upwards across the eastern sky, touching Zoro's cheek. He awoke, and, stretching, realized that one of his swords was gone. "Kuina," he murmured as he saw that the white sword had been taken. Coming to the conclusion that Nami would be the only one able to steal something from him in his sleep, he limped, using his walking stick, over to the north side of the island, the side where Nami slept. "She's not here," he growled to himself, seeing her spot empty. By now Zoro was extremely angry, and a little upset, but he crushed these feelings and hobbled his way into the forest to search for Nami.  
  
He searched for a half hour before he saw her, all curled up and clutching his sword, on top of what looked like a poorly made raft. Zoro stopped dead in his tracks, gazing at her as she slept with a mischievous little grin on her face. He leaned heavily on his walking stick, winded from all the difficult walking. But whatever anger he had melted away, and he sighed with exasperation. "If you wanted to use my sword, all you had to do was ask," he said, walking closer to her.  
  
"Huh?" Nami awoke with a small start. She looked at Zoro, then down at his sword which she was still holding. "Uh...Heheh," she grinned innocently, giving the sword back to Zoro. He snatched it away.  
"What were you doing, anyway?"  
  
"Making a raft to escape with," Nami said, waving at the boards she was sitting on.  
  
"This sword is very special to me. If you take it again, I'll hunt you down." Zoro growled, but not without a smile.  
  
"I'm sorry...I guess I was getting a bit desperate. I really don't want to spend the rest of my life on this tiny island...Not that I wasn't having fun living in close quarters with two guys," Nami laughed. "Do you think this thing would have even made it out to sea?" She kicked the vine- bound boards.  
  
"Probably not. I don't know much about boats or rafts, but the vines would most likely have been ripped apart by the waves." Zoro said with a small laugh. "We might be able to use what you've started here to make a new boat, though," he continued thoughtfully, scratching his chin.  
  
"I'll go get Luffy to help us!" Nami shouted, and ran off. Zoro started working to make the boards more seaworthy...  
  
"Yeah, we made it!" Luffy shouted, standing up in the tiny home-made boat. The island they had been living on gradually faded away into the distance. "Great work, crew!"  
  
"You too, Cap'n," Nami said, smiling up at him. Luffy sat back down.  
  
"Sure we brought enough bananas?" Zoro said sarcastically. Luffy laughed at him.  
  
"It should last us for 45 miles, right Nami?" He said .  
"Absolutely, Cap'n." She said, stitching her map back together.  
  
A sharp intake of breath was heard from Luffy. "No way..." he whispered, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.  
  
"What?" Zoro asked.  
  
"Get down!" Luffy hissed, grabbing Nami's and Zoro's shoulders.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
A huge pirate ship could be seen sailing out in front of them. The sails were open and revealed huge heart shapes emblazoned on them. The flag was a profile of a human skull with a heart on it, and crossbones.  
  
"Iron Mace Alvida!" Luffy said excitedly. "I beat her up one time!"  
  
"I don't think we should draw attention to ourselves..." Nami said worriedly. "I could rob her of all she's worth, though..."  
  
"She's spotted us!" Zoro said. "What should we do?"  
  
"Wait to see what she does," Luffy said calmly. The ship slowly turned to sail straight at them, and then came up alongside the home-made dinghy.  
  
"Hey! Uhh... You guys need help?" A pirate on the ship called down to them. He was deftly scrubbing the bulwark.  
  
"Whaaaat? What did I tell you about helping vagabonds out at sea?" A thick, mannish voice shouted. The pirate suddenly looked very afraid and turned around.  
  
"Er- Not to do it?" He said stupidly. He covered his head in his hands and shook violently.  
  
"That's right. And who's the fairest of all the seas?"  
  
"You are, of course, Lady Alvida!" Suddenly a huge iron mace could be seen beating the crewman to a pulp.  
  
"And don't anybody forget it!" Alvida yelled, blood dripping from her nasty mace.  
  
"Good Lord," Zoro said, getting a look at Lady Alvida's immensity. "That poor crew,"  
  
Luffy stood up straight in the boat. "Hey you!" He shouted. Alvida looked. "Hey, you tough-looking old biddy! Remember me?!" Luffy yelled gleefully. Alvida's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "So you're still mace-ing your crew?"  
  
"What the hell do you care, creature? Have you come back to terrorize my men some more?" Somehow none of the crewmen looked very afraid. They looked as if they were going to be saved.  
  
"Nope. Just thought you'd like to meet my crew." Luffy grinned.  
  
"You call that a crew?!" Alvida laughed.  
  
"Yep! My navigator, Nami, and maybe someone you know," Luffy hesitated, "Roronoa Zoro."  
  
"Whaaaaaaaat? No way!" Lady Alvida shrieked. Zoro grinned. "How'd you tame that demonic beast? He kills pirates for a living!"  
  
"Not anymore. I saved his life, so now he's a member of my pirate super-crew!" Luffy shouted. "I'm sure he'd be happy to kill you, though, and I'm sure he could do it easily, even with a broken-but-healing leg!"  
  
"Aaaaarrrrrrrrhhg! Let's get out of here!" Alvida tromped away as quickly as she could and gave several orders to sail away from the vagabonds. The huge ship sailed away surprisingly fast, and the three in the home-made boat sat back laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.  
  
"I was sitting on a barstool, and I was eating a banana-" Luffy was singing when suddenly he caught sight of land. "Yay! Land-ho!"  
  
"Great, I was getting sick of these bananas and your strange songs!" Nami laughed. "Woo-hoo! Let's row, Zoro!"  
  
"Aye-aye, miss!" Zoro said, grabbing up a poorly made oar. He and Nami rowed towards the village as fast as they could, as Luffy cheered them on.  
  
They hit beach and tossed the boat, glad to be rid of it.  
  
"I need a hot meal and a decent bed," Zoro said wearily, leaning on the walking stick.  
  
"Let's go get some rooms at 'Wingtip Inn' over there," Luffy suggested cheerfully.  
  
"But we don't have any money." Nami stated. "I mean, I could steal some for you, but..."  
  
"No, no, no, we have money. Remember back when Alvida high-tailed it away from us?" Luffy asked with a grin.  
  
"Yes," Zoro + Nami together.  
  
"Well, she dropped a whole bag of gold in the water."  
  
"Huh? I thought that was the bag of bananas." Nami said, confused.  
  
"I put the gold in there while you guys were wiping the tears out of your eyes." Luffy grinned ear to ear.  
  
"Okay, whatever. We got some money. Let's go get a room before they figure out we're pirates." Zoro said warily. He wondered if this place was being used as a base by other pirates....  
  
A/N: Credit to the banana song Luffy was singing goes to Kioko Yasu. If you like Yu Yu Hakusho, Check out her Yu Yu Fic!! I hope you like this, it's my first fic. Please review!  
  
~Erufu 


End file.
